Trawling fishing gear



March 9 1926. 1,575,879

J. B. J. A.AVIGNERON TRAWLING FISHING'GEAR Filed sept. 29, 1922 2 sheets-Sheet 1 .Fito/wey.

March 9 1926. 1,575,879

J.-B. J. A. VIGNERON TRAWLING FISHING GEAR .Filed Sept. 29, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 In efe/dor Jean -Ealoise Joseolpho/zse l//gneron Patented Maf. e, i926.

UNITED ,STATES JEAN-BAPTISTEOSEPH ALPHONSE VIGNEBON, OF MARS-BILLE, FRANCE.

PATENT OFFICE.

mamme msnm@ am 'application mea september as, 1922. semi no. 591,321.

trawling net Aand it has for its object to provide a ground -trawling or. drag net possessin all the advantages of the Otter- -trawl net and of the Boeuf net without l the'objections peculiar to each of these nets.

Another object of my invention is to provide a trawling gear which hasja high lishing eliciency and is so constructed that distortion of the net during fishing is practically avoided, the vimproved gear being in some respects an improvement in the trawlinggear described in my U. S. Patent No.

1,440,854, Jan. 2, 1923.

The accompanying drawings illustrate diagrammatically one embodiment of .thenv vention:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the net according to the inventlon'; l Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 1-1 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the net in working position;

Fig. 4 is a front view of one of the slats for keeping the extremities ofthe-wings in the stretched position;

Fig. 5 is a side view of the Slat lwith its connections to the corresponding net wing and to the traction cable. f

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the whole fishing gear. r

' The net according to the invention is kept open in width'by means of two panels or vboards 22 (Fig. 6) disposed at a distance from the net and connected 'to the wings of thesame by means of traction cables m of great length, said panels being connected to the boat by towing lines 28. Said arrangement is similar tothat described in my U. S. patent above referred to. V

The net is kept open in height by floats P or any other buoyancy nreans disposed on the, head rope a of the net to open it in height independently of the opening in lows freely means, an

' width. These4 buoyancy' means may v*be eit\her fixed upon the head rope (Figs. 5 and 6) or otherwise disposedv in detachable sets 4P1 connected to the head rope of the net by supplementary lines P2.. Buoyancy means may also be disposed on the back (top) of the net, so asv to increase the opening of the body of the net.

This object may also be obtainedby con-v structing the top sheet and the other -parts I of the net not 1n contact with the ground, of more buoyant material than the trawli-ng bottom sheet. The net thus offers less Aresistance and the meshes workwide open and allow the dirt and small fishes to pass freely.` It will be understood that as the head rope is not strained the swelling in height in the body of the net is easily obtained and folpanels of comparatively small size'may be employed,

The wings 2 of the net are connected to specially formed dismountable stretching or spreading slats J hereinafter described.

The head rope a is of a trapezoidal form A B B A and is made of comparatively light rope.

The ground rope b has a pointed shape A X A and may be of hemp or manila. This ground rope b may be weighted with leads or metal weightsR (Fig. 5

In order to allow great upward swelling of the net, the top sheet is largerthan the bottom sheet when both of said lsaid sheets are mounted on the head rope, ground rope and side cables of the net. For the same purpose, the comparative lengths of the head rolpe and ground ro-pe differ less than in' ot er known nets; this difference varying from about 18 feet to 21 feet in a net of an` ordinary developed length of ground rope of 150v feet; in other words, the ratio of the lengthV of head rope to ground rope is of.

the action of the buoyancy inga dihedral angle, the vertical edge X X of which constitutes a common vertical pivoting axis for both the upper and the lower net portions of the two wings. Consequentlyy when the distance between said wings hap crushing pens to vary due tom, or sea streams or other causes, the said u per and lower wing ortions will pivot a out the same vertice. axis X X', f thus avoiding any prejudicial deformation or distortion of the net4 body or reduction of the entrance of the net.

The lateral swelling of the net is limited by side cables O (wing cables) ;'which are connected to the head rope or the spreading slats and adapted to transmit to the net body the towing eiiorts from the traction cables m. In operation, said side ropes practically form a continuation of the traction cables fm. whereb the head rope is left entirely free to swe upwardly.

In order to prevent the sh Jrroin escaping the roposed net is provided with two vertical intermediatebands or strips of netting f di sed between and fixed to top bottom in -the same place where 4the ordinary ed es of the Otte'rtrawl net are provided s an forl the same purpose, so as not to prevent the swelling of the net and without the fish with the rubbish collected. The entrance of the pocket Tis provided with a veil S.

Each of the traction cables m is connected to the corresponding net wing by means o f a dismountable wooden slat J provided with a V shaped cable or crow foot N N1, as seen in front view in Fig. 4 and in side view traction cable.

` This slat is rovided with holes L through which pass `t e an le forming connecting cables or strands N ending site side with two eyes n, n to which are removably attached by means of shackles U U the ends A A (Fig. 5) of the head rope a and ground rope b respectively.

,The/two strands N N are joined together at M round the eye with which engages the The strand N -is longer than positioning of the slat in action. On its ower end the slat J is provided with a 'metal shoe Ky which prevents excessive wea'r of the slat, and b weighting the said shoe it increases the sta ili the sea'l bottom durin the workingteofhthe r avnet, and becomes polis ed, so that a ing pulled in the net it may be easily ascertained, by examining the polished surface of the said shoes, whether orgnot the slats have satisfactoril served their purpose. This permits of a justing the various 'parts of the fishing gear in order toimprove it .for the next operation.

This slat, being dismountable, may be.

used with all the nets successively worked- 'from one boat. l

It is understood that the dimensions, the number andnature of the buoyancymeans and the proportions ofthe diierent parts to uneveness of the sea. bot-i on the oppo-.

0f the: Slat.: The bottom of the shoe K ru s upon bination of a drag net o with two traction cables, two removable spreading wooden' slats, metalshoes cover' ing the lower ends of said slats, two twomay vary according to the particular pur? poses in view without exceeding the scope of the invention.

I claim: `1. A drag net- :Eor ground ishinv' comprising in combination a substantially conical shaped net body two lateral wings extending 'forwardl from the body, a head rope a ground fishing device the com?! bination `of a drag net of the type set forth,

with two Etraction cables, two removable wooden s reading slats provided` near ltheir upper an tures, two two-stranded lacin the ends of the two strands of each t acing passing through thel said apertures in the slats, means lower ends with transversal aperfl for removably attachinnthe apex of eachv lacing lto the correspon g traction cables, and means for removably attachin the ends of the upper and lower strands o each lacing respectively to the said head andground ropes.

os-f

3. In a ground iisliing device 'the com- A bination of a drag net of the -type set forth,

with thevtwo traction cables, two removableL I wooden s reading slats provided near their upperan lower ends with transversal aper?` Y tures, metallic shoes covering the lower ends of said slats whereby protecting 'the latter against rubbing on thesea-bottom, two twostranded lacings, theends of the two strands of each lacing passing through the said a ertures inl the slats,v means for removably attaching the apex of each lacing tothe corresponding traction cable, and means for removably attaching the ends of. the upper and lower strands of each lacing respectively to the said head and ground ropes'.

.4. In a ground fishing device, the combi'nation of drag net o the type set forth with two traction cables-'two removable iis.'

spreading slats, two two-stranded lacings,

holding means on each spreading slat near the opposite ends thereo .adapted to hold apart the 'ends of the correscidin lacing, means for removably atta gt e apex of each lacing to thecorresponding traction `cable and means for removably attachin the ends of the upper and lower' strands o each lacing'to the said head rope and, ground rope, respectively.

5. In a ground fishing device, 4the comthe type set forth stranded lacings, holding means of each spreading slat near the opposite ends thereof, adapted to hold apart the ends of the corresponding lacing, means for removably attaching the apex of each lacing to the corresponding traction cable and means for removably attaching the ends of the upper and lower strands of each lacing to the said head rope and ground rope, respectively.

6. In a ground fishing device, the combination of a drag net formed by a tapering sack provided with lateral wings and comprising atop sheet and a bottom sheet, a ground rope, a head rope, longitudinal side ropes adapted to unite the top sheet and bottom sheet, buoyancy means adapted to vraise the head rope of the net, two spreading slats mounted at the ends of the-wings and having the head rope, ground rope and side ropes connected thereto, two traction cables of great length, connected to said spreading slats respectivel diverging panels attached to the free en s of the traction cables, asingle boat and towing lines for connecting the boat to the diverging 25 p panels.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

JEAN-BAPTISTE JOSEPH ALPHONSE VIGNERUN. 

